


High Tide

by IcegoddessLexra



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Birthday, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 03:32:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4419536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcegoddessLexra/pseuds/IcegoddessLexra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka decides to surprise Michiru with a very special present for her birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Tide

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from my tumblr. This fic was a gift to DocHolligay.

Haruka rarely entered Michiru’s paint study, or the gallery Michiru liked to call it. Whenever Haruka did enter it was always with Michiru, always to see the newest thing Michiru had painted. Ever so diligently Haruka would praise the artwork, even if it was something she didn’t truly understand; she could at least visibly see Michiru’s passion on the canvas.

Today was a different story.

Haruka tip-toed into the gallery, stepping as if she’d suddenly set off invisible booby traps. Thankfully Michiru was out with Setsuna, who had given Haruka a knowing look this morning when asking Michiru if she’d like to go out for tea.

Pluto needed to stop sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

Looking at Michiru’s sea of blank canvases Haruka selects the smallest one. Pleased with her selection the tall blonde searches amongst the brushes for the perfect one. She ends up grabbing a wide one. Now for the paint.

This Haruka already had planned. No way in hell was she touching Michiru’s paints, she’d seen the price tag on those. Haruka’s bank account had cried. So Haruka had gone to the store and bought some cheap children’s paint. There were only 10 colors to choose from but Haruka would make do.

With canvas and brush in hand Haruka settles on the floor of the gallery, looking to the finished and unfinished pieces for inspiration. It’s then she sees the giant canvas of a beach. Michiru tediously worked on it for years. She was always complaining that it never looked just right. Haruka frowned, it looked perfect to her.

It couldn’t be that hard to draw water, could it?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Michiru knew that morning that Haruka was up to something. She figured it was related to her birthday, it was in a few days. Aqua hues glance over at Setsuna, who sat across her, eyes closed and sipping her cinnamon tea in a very tranquil manner.

“You know.”

This isn’t a question. Setsuna’s caramel lids flutter open. She feigns ignorance.

“Oh?” Setsuna responds after taking another sip of tea. Michiru picks up her muffin, takes a small elegant bite, sets the muffin down and then smiles toward Setsuna.

“Haruka is up to something.” Yet again not a question.

Setsuna responds with silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Michiru slid her key into the lock and walked into the house she knew to expect  _something._  What caught her off guard was the silence – and the lack of Haruka in the living room. Intrigued, she heads down the hallway towards their bedroom. She would have passed by her gallery without a single glance if she hadn’t noticed the door was slightly ajar. A gentle slender hand grips the knob and ever so tenderly pushes the door open. It’s then she hears the frustrated grunt.

Pushing the door until it softly clicks against the wall, Michiru is unprepared for the sight before her. Paint is splattered all amongst her carefully chosen plush carpet. Haruka, still sat on the floor, is equally covered in the stuff. Anger flares up in the sea warrior at the thought of her beautiful paint wasted. Then she sees the empty crayola box, plastered with paint as well, and calms.

She can’t help but chuckle, which in turn has Haruka whipping backwards to stare up at Michiru like a deer in headlights. Pupils wide, Haruka’s face pales.

“M-Michiru! You’re home.”

“Ara, Haruka, I am.” She stares down at her lover with the most amused expression. Haruka lunges forward, shielding the canvas resting between her legs with her body, effectively blocking Michiru from seeing it.

“You can’t see Michi!” Haruka cries, making Michiru wonder not for the last time, if Haruka was actually a small child and not an adult.

“Oh?” Michiru responds simply.

“It’s not your birthday yet!” Haruka adds, face red.

“You got paint everywhere.”

It’s then that Haruka truly realizes the mess she’s made. Glancing all about the carpet in the room Haruka’s face brightens several hues.

“I’ll clean it up.”

“Of course you will.”

They stare at each other in silence. Haruka is the first to break it.

“Where can I hide your present so that it can dry?” Michiru points at the door.

“In your garage.”

“Ah.”

~~~~~~~~~

It took Haruka a few hours to wash away all the paint she had inadvertently gotten on the carpet. She was thankful that she had purchased the washable paint because it hadn’t stained and had come out relatively easily. There had just been quite a bit to clean.

Her mustard jacket was permanently stained with a strange green tint however. That didn’t matter in the end, as long as Michiru liked her painting. The burning desire to show it to Michiru early gripped Haruka tighter than Usagi begging Mamoru for icecream. She lasted only a couple more minutes before giving in.

She found Michiru seated comfortably on their couch, curled up and reading a book.

“Michi, come and see!” Haruka grins. Michiru gives her a practiced stare.

“I’m reading.”

 _“Please!”_  Michiru looks down at her book, sighs, and places her marker back in the crease of the pages. “Alright.”

Haruka practically drags Michiru to the garage once their hands connect.

“Slow down Haruka, your painting isn’t going to go anywhere.”

“I want you to see it!”

“Okay close your eyes.” Michiru complies but scrunches her nose.

“It smells like oil in here, Haruka.” Haruka frowns.

“It smells just fine, Michiru!”

“Ara, Haruka.”

Ignoring her, Haruka turns to her painting and smiles. It wasn’t as pretty as Michiru’s ocean painting but it was still pretty damned awesome. The lemon yellow beach sang of happiness as the sky blue and navy blue blanketed it with love. Forest green reached up from the depths for a hug from the blues.

Best ocean ever.

“Okay! Open your eyes.”

Michiru hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt Haruka’s feelings. She knew that the blonde had spent a great deal of time on the painting. Well she could stand in this smelly garage forever. Slowly, Michiru opened her eyes.

She was not prepared.

Keeping a calm facade Michiru examines the small canvas. She blinks once and then twice. What was she staring at?

“Ara, Haruka, it’s very nice.” Michiru finally settles on saying. This was apparently the wrong thing to say. Haruka crumples, her arms, holding the painting, droop to her side.

“You don’t like it.” The utter disappointment in Haruka’s voice blindsides Michiru and catches her off guard.

“No, I do!” She responds earnestly.

Really she did. The fact that Haruka, her gruff active Haruka, sat down and painted, an activity that sponsored patience Michiru believed Haruka to be lacking, was all very flattering.

“But Haruka,  _what is it_?”

There’s a tense silence. Michiru is almost convinced that Haruka is angry when finally she speaks.

“A beach.”

“Oh.”

“It’s a very lovely beach.” In truth it wasn’t. But Michiru would treasure it anyways, just like Hotaru’s numerous drawings pasted on the fridge. To her surprise Haruka lights up with a brilliant smile.

“See this is the sand! And those are the waves. Here’s the seaweed. And this random red dot was an accident but now it’s a balloon!” Michiru listens to Haruka rattling on and on about her painting and pointing out the various colors that had wound up on the canvas by mistake. She shakes her head and pulls the blonde into a hug, which instantly shuts her up.

“Thank you Haruka, it’s the best present in the world.”

“Well I also got you that really expensive violin you wanted, but thanks!”

“It’s the second best present in the world.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh and bonus beach pic. It doesn’t have to count towards the submission but I wanted to illustrate haruka’s wonderful painting.


End file.
